Kingdom of Heaven and Han

Chapter 301 The crisis of the army

In Beiwu Town, Feng Hui led his subordinates to arrange secretly, looking for opportunities.Dong Ping wrote to Peng Jinyuan to discuss tea business transactions.In the south, Zhang Jun occupies Caikou Town, and is careful not to lie dormant, not wanting to be discovered by local forces.For a while, the undercurrent surged, but the surface calmed down.

Wang Ruohai got the news that Wanyan Zongbi of Liuhe began to organize his troops and prepare to come west.Not daring to be negligent, he went to Xiangyang City in person.

In the town of Fusi Yamen, Wang Xiaoli got the report and urgently ordered Wang Ruohai to come to the official hall.

Entering the official hall, Wang Ruohai saluted, and Wang Xiaolie gave him a seat.Order people to serve tea.

Wang Ruohai said: "The news I just got is that Liuhe's Wushu is rectifying its troops and preparing to go west to Luoyang. The previous news said that Wushu brought 5000 elite cavalry to the west, but this time I heard that in order to prevent observation, they brought [-] horsemen to the north. Thirty-five thousand people."

Wang Xiaolie said: "He really thinks highly of me! Are the 5000 people against me?"

Wang Ruohai said: "Luoyang has the Yellow River in the north, Shanzhou in the west, and Ruzhou in the south. It is surrounded by our army. Although there is no intention to go north for a while, the Jin people may not think so. It is normal to station heavy troops in Luoyang. "

Wang Xiaolie sighed: "That's right, if the two countries were to fight, Li and Zhai and I should have observed and seized Luoyang. However, we are powerless, so we can only watch. It is easy to capture Luoyang, but it is easy to hold on to it." Difficult."

The two capitals are not places where the Jin army focuses on defense. Whether it is Luoyang or Kaifeng, the Jin Dynasty has very few troops.The Song army did not attack because there was no danger to defend these two places.There are dangerous passes around Luoyang, and there is a plain around Kaifeng.It is easy to capture the two capitals, but it is difficult to defend them.

Wang Xiao hunted 5 soldiers and horses. If he went north to attack Luoyang, he would face the aggressive Jin army. [-] people are far from enough to fight a decisive battle.Without enough troops, you can only avoid these strategic locations and avoid entering the decisive battle in advance.

Wang Ruohai said: "The two capitals are not comparable to other places. If we can regain one place, the morale of the army and the people will be greatly boosted!"

Wang Xiaolie said: "This matter can only be discussed in the long-term. Once the army goes north, it is very likely to be attacked by the Jin army's all-powerful soldiers. Without an army of 10,000+, it is impossible to take this risk. After a few years of development in Dengzhou, Xiangyang, Only when the soldiers are fine and the food is sufficient can we go north.”

Wang Ruohai said: "If the observation doesn't go north, what should the Wushu army come?"

Wang Xiaolie thought for a while, and said: "The [-] army, plus the signed troops from the surrounding counties, is quite a number. The battle in Shaanxi is imminent, and Wushu dare not go south to Xiangdeng. However, Ruzhou is not far away. , he may not try me. I have ordered Xinye to prepare, and in August I will lead an army of [-] to go north to defend Ruzhou."

Wang Ruohai nodded.After a while, he shook his head again, and said with some regret: "If Xijing can be regained, it will be enough to boost the morale of the heroes. I heard that there are many rebels around Taihang. Cooperating with them inside and outside can become a big trend!"

Wang Xiaolie said: "If you want to do big things, you must understand the capital in your hands. How much capital you have, how big things you can do. Otherwise, even if you gain power for a while, you will have to hand it over in the future. Now our task is to develop the place, Train soldiers and horses. Only when the soldiers and food are sufficient can we have an idea for the next step. In two or three years, other things just need to be watched."

Wang Ruohai said again: "Secretary Zhang raised all the soldiers in Shaanxi, and there are more than [-] soldiers. If Shaanxi wins a big victory, there may not be no chance!"

Wang Xiaolie was stunned for a moment.What Wang Ruohai said was right. If Shaanxi wins, the situation will change.But I clearly know that Shaanxi will not win, how can I make this kind of deployment?
After thinking for a long time, Wang Xiaolie said: "The counselor will stay in Xiangyang for a few days. I'll invite Chen Yuyi, Shao Ling and Niu Gao to join Chen Qiudao and let us have a good discussion. It’s always unsettling.”

Wang Ruohai left and went out, Wang Xiaolie sat alone behind the case, thinking for a long time.

I don't want to send heavy troops, in the final analysis, because I know that Zhang Jun from Shaanxi will not win.If Zhang Jun wins, the main force of the Golden Army's West Route Army is likely to be completely wiped out, and the situation in the whole world will completely change.Only when he knew the result would he know that Zhang Jun would lose.But for other people, they all have the illusion of Zhang Jun's victory.If Shaanxi wins, I must use my entire army to cooperate with Zhang Jun.

After thinking for a long time, Wang Xiaolie let out a long sigh.

Even now, the Song Dynasty actually still has strong strength.Shaanxi's 20 battle-hardened army is enough to fight a decisive battle with the Jin army if it is really capable.Even if [-] to [-] soldiers are gathered from other places, they will have the strength to restore the Central Plains.

From the perspective of later generations, Shaanxi was defeated, and the Song Army squandered its previous troops.Prior to this, the confidence of the Song Dynasty monarchs and ministers in the face of the Jin army was actually well-founded.However, the army does not compete for numbers, but for combat effectiveness.If it was just a battle of numbers, the Song army should have won a big victory in Taiyuan. How did it end up in this situation?
To be honest, Wang Xiaolie believes that the current Song Army has completely decayed.No matter how many troops there are on paper, it is difficult to defeat the Jin army.Without training a new army, without undergoing painful transformation and struggle, it is difficult to fight the Jin army head-on.In fact, a new army was trained, the war improved, the surrender faction gained the upper hand, killed Yue Fei, and the Song army quickly lost its vigor.Twenty or thirty years later, Xiaozong wanted to make a northern expedition, but returned without success.

Later generations often say that Zhao Gou has the generals of the Northern Expedition, but has no ambition for the Northern Expedition.Xiaozong had the ambition of the Northern Expedition, but no general of the Northern Expedition.In fact, this statement is unreasonable.If there is no problem in an army, how can it be short of generals?Yue Fei is a military genius born in the world, but it doesn't mean that the army would not win the battle without military genius.A qualified army, even if it does not have excellent generals, should not make big mistakes.If you have enough strength, you should win, and you won't be defeated by the weak.

Since the Han Dynasty, China has developed the Western Regions on a large scale, and also started a large-scale war with the northern nomads.Before the Han Dynasty, of course there were such wars.For example, Zhao Wuling Wang Hufu rode and shot, Qin Shihuang built the Great Wall, and many others.But the power of the nomads rarely threatened the life and death of the Central Plains dynasty.In the nearly 1000 years from the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, the battle between the two sides began to slowly change.The advantages of the Central Plains dynasty gradually disappeared, and the nomads began to gain the upper hand.The Song Dynasty was the first dynasty that was directly wiped out by the nomadic regime.

why?Fundamentally speaking, there was a problem with the Central Plains Dynasty.There are many analyzes on this issue, and some people have even formed theories and put forward various statements.But the most fundamental reason is that there is a problem with the army.It's not just a problem with the army itself, but more importantly, there is a problem with the court's understanding of the army.

Many people don't think that there is something wrong with the army of the Central Plains Dynasty.For example, at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty fell apart, and Mobei was swept away several times.But what about the result?In less than 100 years, it will lose its advantage facing the north.Some people say that it is the law of the cycle of the dynasty, while others say that it will be like this after the dynasty has been established for a long time.But why not other dynasties?Even the Song Dynasty was not like this.At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, they couldn't beat Khitan, and later they still couldn't beat Khitan, and they were always weak.

If we don't solve this problem, how useful is it to just train an army capable of fighting and survive this crisis?What about decades later? What about 100 years from now?What about hundreds of years later?Do we have to wait until the invaders from outside burn this land with butcher knives, and the blood is all over the ground, and we have to be lucky enough to meet a group of people who are really thoughtful, courageous, and capable, so that we can change everything?
Then what am I doing in this world?Faced with this situation, Wang Xiaolie could not forgive himself.

The rescue of Shanzhou at the beginning of the year, and then the big victory in Jingmen, everything seemed to be going well.Wang Xiaolie has won military exploits, gained fame, and also won the hearts of the local people. It looks infinitely beautiful.But the real reform of the military has found many obstacles.

Since the march into Xiangyang, the army has gradually become regularized, and there have been constant desertions.The rectification carried out in the past few months has reached its climax.Now Wang Xiaolie has about [-] soldiers, and more than [-] people have escaped for various reasons.Up to now, except for the Ruzhou King Qin soldiers who followed Wang Xiao at the beginning, and the local soldiers recruited later, most of them have fled.

Such a large-scale desertion, Wang Xiaolie had to pay attention to it.Why are there deserters when I am loyal to the country and win consecutive battles?The salaries of the officers in our own army are not high, compared with the imperial salaries, they are only average, and there are no rewards.But all the money in my own army is real money, and there is no discount or money. The real income is higher than that of other armies.The food and lodging of the soldiers are all taken care of by the army, and there is a small monthly allowance, which is also real money.More importantly, the local government has subsidies for soldiers and various preferential treatments.Why are they still running away?

Wang Xiaolie couldn't figure it out.But he had to figure it out.If this issue continues to be confused, the future of this army is hard to say.Some people may think that this problem is not serious. Wang Xiaolie couldn't explain how serious it was for a while, but he knew it was very serious.

A few days ago in Xinye, Wang Xiaolie deliberately asked Chen Yuyi to do political work in the army.But it could be felt that Chen Yuyi didn't understand and didn't want to do it.How to do?Wang Xiaolie couldn't think of a way for a while.

When he first started leading the army, Wang Xiaolie felt that political work was redundant.To be honest, if you don't have the memory of your previous life, you probably wouldn't have thought of this at all.It wasn't until the army faced problems and couldn't think of a way out that Wang Xiaolie gradually understood the significance of the military's political work.

Political work is not only to ensure the loyalty of the army, but more importantly, to ensure the nature of the army.Wang Xiaolie has always said that his army must defend the country, and soldiers join the army to protect the country.How to ensure this?It is not enough to rely on commanders alone.

If it is said that the commander of the army is to ensure the combat effectiveness of the army, political work is to ensure the nature of the army.The real political work is not the old supervising army, nor the political department that exists in some armies, but a position that the army naturally requires.This position was not added out of thin air by some people, but the natural needs of the army itself.Without this position, the military lacks part of its functions.

After the triumphant return of the Jingmen army, others saw that everything was going well, but Wang Xiaolie felt the crisis.Until this crisis is resolved, major military operations are not suitable.If the transformation of the army is not completed, it is not suitable for large-scale military expansion.

After the founding of New China, many reforms came like a storm.But how was New China established?Why can that army cope with all kinds of difficulties, and when the time comes, it sweeps across the land like rolling spring thunder?This issue has not been studied clearly.

The rebirth of the Red Army really started with the emphasis on political work.According to tradition, political work can be regarded as civil governance.When the rule of law penetrated to the grassroots, a new army rose up.However, when Chinese literati talked about Chinese history, the history of the Song Dynasty, and the history of the Ming Dynasty, they all said that the military was ruled by literature, which led to the weak combat effectiveness of the army and even the subjugation of the country.Why do these people say that it is just the opposite of the actual history?Why was it that when warriors had the highest status, such as during the Five Dynasties, such as the warlord period of the Republic of China, the warlords could kill literati like dogs, and the combat effectiveness of the army was not worth mentioning?
As the builder and commander of the army, Wang Xiaolie needs to think clearly.

(End of this chapter)